Party Time!

We finally got to experience Chinese karaoke! It was really really fun. We got a really big and fancy room, which also included a private bathroom. We all sang English songs, and our big sisters and Mrs. Zhang-Micco sang in Chinese. A few of us also attempted to sing in Korean, but that didn't go so well.

This is me, at the 'center stage'. I sat in this spot for most of the night.

Mrs. Zhang-Micco is a very good singer!

We all had so much fun! When you rent the room at night you get to keep it until the next morning. My big sisters told me that it is cheaper to go during the daytime but since we all went as a large group we each paid 23 yuan (that's like $3 per person!). We had to take the bus back to the college after we were done. When we were waiting for the bus we were approached by a taxi and a man on his moped, who both offered us rides, it was scary but our big sisters protected us. When we got on the bus it was very crowded! We all had to squish in the back and the ride was very bumpy so we held on to whatever was closest to us.

Today we woke up extra early to take the bus to Pingtan Island. Pingtan Island is the largest in the province of Fujian, and also the 5th largest island in China. The bus ride to Pingtan Island was 2 hours, and since we had to wake up early most of us just slept through most of it.

We visited Pingtan Experimental Primary School and read books in English to them. Our big sisters helped by translating the story for them. We also got to perform for them and with them. They also performed for us too. 

The students performed a great finale. This girl had a small singing solo.

At the end the students sang a fight song about strength of the youth and China's history. I told the girl in the above picture that she did a great job in Chinese. She thanked me in English and ran off. Later she approached me and gave me a bracelet! I was overwhelmed because she was so cute and generous. I wish I could have given her something also.

This is the bracelet I was given. It's so cute!

All the children were so cute and interested in us. We were like celebrities again! They swarmed all around us and practiced greeting us in English. Some of them took out their cell phones and took pictures of us and with us. One girl really came close to us and took pictures of our faces. I was startled by her because she seemed to come out of nowhere.

I wish we could have stayed longer at the school. We all wanted to stay and interact with the children. Some of them were shy, and some of them were not, but they were all very cute!